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year 5, quarter 3
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Post by Caius Dragelion on May 9, 2020 11:07:18 GMT -6
The Dragonglaive
Cloud Strife Word Count: OOC: Dialogue Color: 196fd1
Caius hadn't hesitated very long once the transformer had gotten into the city. He had shot the flare into the air, and Spiky had told him that he needed for Caius to hit it with something big on his signal. Just like that, Spiky would ride off on a motorcycle. How had he expected for Caius to catch up? Caius didn't have that speed spell he did, and while he could move on the rooftops with his warping capabilities, he didn't know if he was fast enough to keep up with it. And unlike Spiky, he didn't know how to drive one of those bikes either.
Luckily, he didn't have to.
"GRRRROOOOOARRR!"
A roar pierced the skies as a blur of blue scales shot into the city. Just over the size of the largest of horses, the dragon would land beside Caius. "Vordun!" Caius called out to the dragon as he would climb on quickly. Hopefully nobody would see, with them busy running for their lives and everything. But this was an emergency, and if there was a time to take risks, it was now. Vordun didn't need to be told to follow the giant house morph thing, it had a pretty good idea that this was exactly what it had been called for. So as soon as Caius climbed on, Vordun shot off toward it.
Well, Spiky had said he wanted something big. Hopefully this would count. It wasn't too long before they were able to catch up to the mechanical creature and Spiky, who once Caius had a closer look, he could finally see the plan that he had in mind. He had wrapped the creature up using cables from a broken crane, slowing the thing down and causing it to lose its balance. If Caius could hit it hard enough, then they might be able to knock it down...
"NOW! HIT IT!"
The words rang out, and Caius didn't hesitate. "Vordun!" Caius called to his partner, and the dragon seemed to get the message as Caius would unhook himself and leap off the dragon's back, drawing his sword and attacked the monster's upper backend, hoping to lurch it forwards and topple it over. He could admire the level of strength it must have taken Spiky to be able to hold it back this long. A superhuman level of strength at that. But after he had cleaved one of the things in half earlier, it wasn't that big of a surprise either.
So now it was his turn to do his part.
Caius struck again and again in mid-air, using his powers to keep himself afloat, through darting through the air. This air control not only kept him afloat, but also kept his momentum going into his swings. But it wouldn't last forever. Vordun meanwhile, had started charging a fireball in its mouth, and just as it prepared to launch, Caius seemed to know it was coming. With both hands he would plunge his sword into the machine's body, managing to pierce the make and stab the sword inside. This gave Caius an opening to plant his feet on the thing, as he would rip his sword through, wires starting to fly everywhere as sparks flew with them. Caius winced as he felt a series of jolts rocket through his body, but he powered through it best he could as he would try and buy a little more time for Vordun.
He knew when it was coming. He knew the exact moment Vordun would fire. And when it came, Caius would kick off the creature's back, flipping through the air as the fireball would strike where Caius had been. The opening he had made would expose a spot where the fireball would do the most damage as it exploded on contact. With enough time to charge, the fireball had been able to reach the strength of a Firaga spell, the explosion sending Caius flying back before he would toss his sword at it and warp forward again, hitting it with several strikes until...
The thing lurched forward.
Its lower area tied, and pressure on the upper, the thing would come crashing down. Vordun would catch Caius on its back as Caius would collapse upon landing, needing a moment to catch his breath. As the thing went down, Caius knew that it was now or never for finishing it off. With a short reprieve to replenish his magic, Caius would motion for Vordun to take them down. "Close in!" Caius called to Vordun, and the dragon would oblige as it would divebomb toward the machine...
Until suddenly the top half of its body would contort and straighten itself, as two sets of massive stereo systems would appear on its shoulders. Then it began to play a sound...
"♪ HOT BUTTER! DRINK IT IN TEA! IT'S CLOGGING UP ALL OF MY ARTERIES! ♪"
Music? It seemed the overly ambitious mad scientist had decided to attach a sound system. One that was now being used as a weapon by this malfunctioning titan. The sheer force from the sound would send Vordun flying back. Caius would tumble off Vordun's back as the dragon was sent crashing through the windows behind them, disappearing into the building.
"VORDUN!"
Caius let out a low growl as he would get to his feet. His ears were still ringing from that horrible, loud sound and he couldn't hear very well for the moment. But it wouldn't stop him from fighting. No, they needed to stop this thing here before it could get anywhere else...
"TAKE ITS LEGS!" Caius called out to Spike. Spike had shown that he could chop these machines in half if he wanted. Well, the art of choppy choppy was exactly what they needed right now. If he could take out its legs, then it wouldn't be able to move anymore... Right? The machine though, didn't seem to like this idea. As its arms would retract and suddenly be replaced with large spinning blades, that would reach out toward Cloud and Caius.
Post by Cloud Strife on May 15, 2020 19:57:28 GMT -6
When he asked for 'something big', he hadn't counted on a dragon. Still, it wasn't the strangest thing he'd seen in the past hour or so. He'd take it.
Day's full of surprises and it ain't over yet.
He craned his head and followed the shape of dragon and rider as they swooped in for the attack. Cutting the air like a knife. He tracked behind on the motorcycle keeping a pace that left no slack on the cable while flashes of sparking metal and wires lit up the surface of the house. Then came the coup de grace. Cloud timed it himself with an internal clock calibrated from every prior battle fought in his life. An unconscious feel for the rhythm of the fight. The impact of the fireball setting the scene alight in a bright orange glow. He could feel the burst of heat even from his position on the ground, a sudden warm wind rustling his hair.
The second the house began to stumble Cloud released his hold on the end of the cable and it pulled away snapping like a whip with the tension. The skin of his forearm discolored in bands where he'd wrapped the cable for grip. His entire upper body was on fire and he let out a hiss of pain between clenched teeth but that was all. No time for pain until that thing was scrap. He flexed his hand and fingers to get the blood flowing through his sword arm again.
When the house fell he felt the shockwave of its impact into his bones. The booming sound of it rattling his skull. The crunch of buckling metal. He braked and angled the bike and rested one foot on the pavement and watched the dragon swoop in for a killing blow that never came.
The day had not yet exhausted its store of surprises.
It took a moment for Cloud to even register the absurdity of what he was seeing as the sound system burst forth from the innards of the fallen house. Even with the speakers angled up and away from him the sheer volume of the sound blast made his eardrums ache. He grimaced against the pain. There were no easy victories, he'd learned that much a long time ago, but this thing was testing the limits of his patience.
He drew his sword from his back and swung his leg over the motorcycle and started walking towards the house. He didn't break his stride when the arms of the house contorted in a scream of metal to be replaced by blades and the buzzsaws spun up and their high whining cut through all the other noise around them. On his face a stony look of equal parts determination and irritation. He stopped and gripped his sword with both hands. As one of the buzzaws came towards him he slipped into a low stance and held his sword up like a batter waiting to swing. A bright blue energy enveloped the blade, tongues of ethereal flame flickering at the edges.
With a forceful shout he swung the blade down and hurled a bright blue arc of pure energy where the sawblade joined the body. It collided with a sound like an explosion and cut clean through the joint and the momentum of it carried the severed arm backwards until it collided with the ground. The teeth of the sawblade embedded themselves in the pavement. On the opposite side, the other blade jerked wildly in the air, the remaining automated systems seeking some recalibration in light of the damage.
But Cloud was on the move before the arm even hit the ground. He dashed in on the exposed side of the house and fought with a powerful fury, heeding his comrade's strategy. He leaped high in the air and came down hard with an overhead chop through the knee joint of one of the legs. Sparks everywhere. Shards of metal littering the ground around like steel snowfall.
Cloud became little more than a blur of blond hair and silver blade, leaving twisted metal and wreckage behind him.
Post by Caius Dragelion on May 16, 2020 18:09:35 GMT -6
The Dragonglaive
Cloud Strife Word Count: OOC: Dialogue Color: 196fd1
Spike heeded instructions and headed for it. When the blades came for him, Caius brought up his blade just in time. His expression was stone, cold eyes stared the buzzsaw down as it would spin and carve against his sword, which managed to hold its own as Caius would press back to keep from growing overwhelmed. Sparks emanated from the contact and Caius' stone exterior melted a little bit as he grimaced, his teeth clenched. But his eyes went from stone to fiery, as he pushed back with a stubborn determination until he was able to clear some room.
Caius took the opportunity to leap upward just as the buzzsaw then lunged forward. Landing on the center of the buzzsaw, Caius would run along it, being as careful as he could to not fall with the thing still spinning below him. Falling, or one wrong step, would guarantee Caius would be cleaved in two and then some. His ears were still ringing and he could barely hear the spinning and whirring from the blades, but he could certainly still feel them. Once he got far enough, Caius would let out a cry as his blade was engulfed in flames due to the aid of a Fire spell. He hadn't even noticed that Spike had done the same, Caius just hoped that with the extra heat, he could bring about enough force to...
His cry and the bonfire that became his sword would be followed by him striking down on the arm, severing the buzzsaw from the rest of the body. Caius fell off the thing when it came off, narrowly avoiding being made into soup in the process. Spike meanwhile, had taken out another of the buzzsaws and then had taken out the knee joint. The sound of twisting metal was both welcome and unwelcome, as it meant to Caius that this thing was almost down. But the unexpected sound caught him by surprise, especially considering his ears had picked this exact moment to start working again.
Getting to his feet, Caius would toss his blade and warp forward, abiding by Spike's example and bringing his sword down overhand on the other leg while it was still stunned. Down came the blade, and off came the leg. But the thing still had another trick up its sleeve.
The impact when the thing crashed after having its legs taken out from under it seemed to have damaged the sound system, but it didn't make it any less effective. Caius had been primed to finish it off before he would be sent flying back by it. The last remaining arm would form into a buzzsaw as well, and the creature would suddenly being to rotate it all around. Between the loudspeakers and the buzzsaw, it was going to be hard to get to it...
They needed to find an-
A fireball would suddenly be launched past the buzzsaw and hit the thing square, and the ungodly sounds that it emitted sounded like it had done some serious damage. The music finally stopped, and the buzzsaw would stop in its tracks as the thing slumped over. Opportunity. There was an opportunity!
"Vordun!" Caius cried, a big grin finally crossing his face as he saw that the dragon had recovered and had rejoined the fray. Vordun would follow up with a jet of flames that struck the thing right in the center. It was time to end this.
Nodding his head to Spike, Caius would grit his teeth as he would stride forward, pouring his magic into what was to come next. He let out a low growl as he would steel himself, before tossing his blade at the side of the house. Caius warped forward, slashing the weak points cold turkey now that much of the exterior had been ripped, torn, slashed or melted off. He would warp to the side and strike again, warp again and strike again. His movements and his slashes occurred at breakneck speeds, only seeming to increase by the second. The rapid strikes in the air continued hitting their mark.
Somewhere in the background, Caius could see that Spike had begun his final assault as well.
Caius let out a loud cry as he would bring his blade down on what he assumed to be the core of the house. Upon impact, a series of explosions would begin accumulating from within the house. Realizing quickly, Caius projected a barrier in front of himself as the house finally gave its final death throes, or as close to one as a machine can, before it would explode entirely. It was a house party all over this side of Sonora as house parts went flying everywhere. Caius was sent flying back, protected by the barrier, and was caught by Vordun's wings.
All went still.
Caius used Vordun's frame to pull himself up, before holding out a hand to the lizard. "Cura" Caius breathed out, remembering Vordun's battle injuries from before. He patted the dragon on the head, as that last spell finally spelled the end of Caius' energy reserves. Exhaustion and fatigue set in very quickly once the adrenaline wore off. "You... Head off. Ha... Ha... Good job... Meet you back..." He instructed between hefty breaths as he instructed the dragon to leave before residents came around. Vordun obliged, waiting for Caius to settle himself off him before the beast would fly off into the distance.
Without Vordun's support, Caius would fall over onto his back. The adrenaline was gone, his reserves were spent. And he found himself gasping for air.
After about a minute of silence, clapping and cheering could be heard in the background. Residents and military came pouring in, and Caius managed to pull himself up to his knees by the time he found himself surrounded by people. He couldn't hear most of what was being said, between the exhaustion and the fact his ears were still ringing. He found a card pressed into his hands. Cloud would find the same. The cards listed the name and address of a bar, with a note stating that drinks were on them for the night.
Caius let out a groan as he shakily pulled himself to his feet. He didn't drink much, but... If he was being honest, he could really use a strong drink right now.
Post by Cloud Strife on May 19, 2020 19:12:05 GMT -6
Cloud was peripherally aware of his comrade laying into the machine on the opposite side but his vision tunneled until all that remained was the sparking husk of metal before him. This was the final push. No holding back. He shouted wordlessly and threw all his strength behind his strikes, great swings that cleaved the house into twisted pieces of sheared steel, the jagged edges pulsing with a red glow. All around stunk of hot metal and melting synthetics and burning oil.
Then it ignited.
He reacted unconsciously. Leaped backwards as though spring-loaded, flipped in the air and landed with bent knees and his sword driven a foot into the ground. The marginal buffer of space gave him that fraction of a second to duck behind it and brace for impact. He felt the shockwave in his chest, in his skull, rattling his teeth. The blast of heat. Shrapnel flying past his ear so close he heard the zip of it through the air until his hearing turned into a single high note over a low, indistinct murk.
Then nothing. Cool air on his skin once more. He lifted his head slowly, looking past his sword at the smoldering wreck. He used his grip on the blade to pull himself standing. In the absence of adrenaline his limbs felt like dead weight. His ears ached as his hearing came back, a gradual return like someone slowly turning the volume knob. His arms were streaked grey with ash and dirt clinging to rivulets of sweat. He was very tired.
"Man..." he exhaled tonelessly.
His mako eyes swept over the scene. The destruction. The burning wrecks and crumbling facades of buildings, shattered glass strewn across the street. If the scientist had been standing there Cloud would have hit him but the broken jaw wouldn't have just been for this. The ruin made him think of sector seven. But then he looked past the destruction and down the robot's path, where people emerged cautiously from the rubble, helped each other to their feet. He looked up ahead, to the clusters of buildings and apartments the robot never reached, where shocked faces looked down from balconies, craned their heads out of windows to glimpse the chaos. It wasn't sector seven at all.
They saved a lot of people here, hadn't they?
Cloud wrenched his sword free from the ground as civilians and authorities swarmed the scene. He slipped it onto his back again and willed his feet one in front of the other, gently pushing through the gathering crowd. It took him a minute to register the noise. Clapping, cheering. Somebody slapped him on the back, on the arm. Somebody looked him in the eye and called him a hero. He found the notion bewildering and he mumbled a non-response until the shifting crowd swallowed the person up again. He shook his head and kept walking until he found his ally from the fight. By the time he did there was a card in his hand. He didn't know how it got there.
"Hey," he said, "You good?"
He spied the card in the man's hand and held up its match.
"I guess we got free drinks out of this."
Which was fine by Cloud, since he didn't have any money. He nodded his head down the road, where clusters of neon signs beckoned wanderers to come in out of the cold - and where there wasn't an uncomfortably large crowd of people milling around them.
Post by Caius Dragelion on May 21, 2020 14:29:16 GMT -6
The Dragonglaive
Cloud Strife Word Count: OOC: Dialogue Color: 196fd1
Caius let out a soft groan as he pushed past the crowd gently, trying to get some feeling back into his... Well... Everything. His hands were numb, his arms were numb, his legs were shaking. His vision from the loss of adrenaline, his fatigue and his battle damage was still spotty, and his ears were still ringing like oversized bells sounding in his, well... Ears. His sword had disappeared soon after he had collapsed, which meant that he didn't have much to support himself with besides Vordun, who he had already sent away before the crowds had come.
He was very, very tired. A very big part of him wanted to just find a hotel, check in and collapse. But he wasn't going to be rude and pass up this offer either, when this gentleman was apparently being so kind. He didn't look back at the destruction any longer. Within moments of his starting to regain his senses, he couldn't look at it anymore when his state of bewilderment and his haze - which now seemed like bliss - had worn off. And all he could see was his failure to protect a big part of this city. And who knows how many people may have been injured, or worse?
Not that he ignored what he had done, of course. Caius knew that he had protected a lot of people. He just wished he could do more. But he also knew that he couldn't dwell on that, or it would haunt him forever. No, for now, he needed to look away. He needed to look forward. His thoughts went to the scientist for a moment. What were the odds that he had skipped town by now? It was possible he was lurking about, hoping to salvage the remnants of his machines. It would make sense, he supposed. Wanting to salvage what he could to cut costs. He just hoped he never saw these things running amok again. Or saw the scientist again, for that matter.
Someone spoke to him when he had managed to clear some space. Now that he wasn't being hounded and had started to get his head back, he could finally turn and speak back to them. To his surprise, he would find that his greeter was none other than Spike himself.
"Yeah," he responded with a curt nod of his head. "I'm good."
Spiky held up a card that matched his own. It seemed they had both been invited out for a few drinks. "I guess we got free drinks out of this" the spiky blonde would proclaim in a dry, dulcet tone that sounded like it came from a man that hadn't just fought a giant robot. "Yeah. I guess we do" Caius answered softly, trying to find his balance again and willing himself to stand up straight. "If it'll get the phrase "Hot butter" out of my head, I'll take whatever drink they're offering."
With that, Caius finally started to walk straight, now motivated to not look like a stumbling mess in front of his new companion. It took a little while, but the two of them found their way into a quaint little bar, with a set of western double doors that Caius gently nudged with his shoulder to let them in. The theme seemed to be based off an old western saloon. Caius had seen pictures of these kinds of things, though he couldn't remember where.
Post by Cloud Strife on May 25, 2020 21:07:56 GMT -6
Cloud walked the Sonoran streets with an unhurried pace that at first glance seemed relaxed and at second glance was the slow gait of a man trying not to look as tired as he felt. Even before the fight he'd been exhausted from his travels. The adrenaline carried him through the battle, like it always did, and now in its absence Cloud was left feeling like someone replaced his bone marrow with lead and turned his muscles to jelly. He was quiet on the walk to the bar. The noise of the emergency response faded behind them and the sword on his back made quiet dull metal clicks as it swayed with every step. His boots scuffed against the pavement. The quiet between them could have been amiable, but the truth was Cloud needed a drink before he could muster the effort to be sociable.
He wasn't a drinker, but some part of him decided alcohol was a necessity right about now.
He followed Caius into the bar and his eyes gave the interior a customary once over. Taking in the warm wooden decor and the scattered regulars nursing beer of a brand he didn't recognize. An old man at the bar ordered a whiskey and slammed it back like water. Cloud was pretty confident that was a man concerned with the strength of the alcohol and not the quality. He could smell decades of liver damage from across the room.
The bartender eyed the pair as they entered, nodding stiffly. Cloud decided in that moment that he didn't much like the bartender or the bar for no reason other than the bartender wasn't Tifa and the bar wasn't Seventh Heaven. But mercenaries make due. He stepped up to the bar and put the card down on the surface and slid it towards the bartender. The bartender examined it, nodded.
"What'll it be?"
Cloud had to think about that one. He made a stalling noise. What did Tifa make him before? No, they probably didn't have that here. He shot a sideways glance at the old man, slumped over and resting his head on his forearms.
"...Whiskey," Cloud replied.
The bartender took Caius's order and went to fix the drinks. Cloud put his foot up on the brass rail and rested an elbow on the bar and scrubbed his hand down his face. He wanted a shower. He wanted a bed. He wanted to sleep for a year. More than everything else he wanted to find Tifa and the others and if anything else happened to stop that he wasn't sure he'd be able to handle it. Outwardly he was just tired. Inwardly that thread was getting awfully thin.
"Should've punched that scientist out," Cloud muttered. He looked up at Caius. "He's probably skipped town by now."
Post by Caius Dragelion on May 25, 2020 22:18:30 GMT -6
The Dragonglaive
Cloud Strife Word Count: OOC: Dialogue Color: 196fd1
Caius felt his body swaying as his exhaustion became ever more evident. Which one had expired then? His energy reserves, or his magic? Or perhaps it was both? Caius wasn't all that sure, but he supposed it didn't matter. He was tired. And odds were he didn't have the energy to summon his magic anymore either way. Things were quiet between himself and Spiky Do. That was okay with him. The way he was now, he wasn't going to be much for conversation anyway. Maybe after a drink, he could process all that had happened in a way that wouldn't drive him mad, and then he could strike up conversation with the spiky headed stranger who carried a sword that looked more like an oversized log than a sword.
He didn't drink much himself. Caius had never been a heavy drinker. But some things just required that drink. Sometimes you just needed a bit to take the edge off when things hit the fan. This was one of those times.
The bar was strange to him, being something he had only seen in photos, but it would be an experience, he was sure. Though to be honest, he wasn't sure what he would be ordering. But then again, he could decide that when his body wasn't threatening to topple over. Caius managed to climb up onto the stool at the bar, slipping his legs in between... And then his head hit the bar. Crashed straight down as he let out a low groan. It was like his body had registered that it was time to rest, and then down it went. After a few seconds, he picked up his head, muttering "God..." as a show he was still alive.
Spike ordered. Whiskey, he said, right? Caius couldn't think of what to order, so he just ordered the same. "Whiskey" came his order in a voice calm and firm, but it dragged a little bit out of exhaustion. This would pass, hopefully, once he had finished getting back his bearings. He rested his elbows on the bar, propping himself up properly as he sat up mostly straight, his head bent a little still. Spike spoke up, stating he should have punched the scientist out, and that he had likely skipped town by now.
"... Tell me about it" came his reply. "This headache's not going away anytime soon. If I'd known, I might have given him one" he spoke quietly. Was he serious that he would have? Probably not, he was just a little bit grumpy at the moment.
It occurred to him as they waited for the drinks that he had failed to give his name. That was a courtesy that he shouldn't fail to give, especially given the fact they had just taken down a giant robot house fusion together. Letting out a breath as he tried to regain his bearings once more, he spoke up again.
Post by Cloud Strife on May 28, 2020 20:49:06 GMT -6
The old man with his head on his arms made a low noise deep in his chest that might have been language but Cloud couldn't tell. It meant something to the bartender because after he set two whiskies in front of Cloud and Caius on square cardboard coasters he walked over to the old man and topped up his empty glass.
Things had gotten too hectic too quickly for introductions when the pair of swordsmen crossed paths outside the city and in his quiet exhaustion Cloud had forgotten this until Caius introduced himself. Cloud nodded, taking a second as though to link the name to the face more permanently in his mind.
"Cloud," he replied, picking up the glass in front of him. He raised it. "Cheers."
He drank. He didn't have the palate or the experience to know if the whiskey was good or not as far as whiskey was concerned, but he followed the burn all the way down into his stomach. A warm feeling hit him from his gut outward and he thought it hit a little harder than it should have. Empty stomach. He hadn't eaten since he met Ignis out on the road.
He set the glass back down on the coaster and thought it wasn't so bad that he wouldn't drink it again.
In the calm and quiet of the bar Cloud could have lapsed back into a tired silence. With the whiskey in his system he was tempted to. It was too much energy to think. Just lean on the bar and listen to the clink of glasses and that low murmur of indistinct conversation a few tables away. Listen to the muffled hum of the city outside. Follow the old man's lead.
But he was in Sonora for a reason and it wasn't to fight houses and drink whiskey.
He absently turned his glass in a slow rotation, thumb and forefinger twisting it clockwise. He asked: "You know this place very well? The city, I mean. I'm tryin' to track down some people."
Post by Caius Dragelion on Jun 5, 2020 23:08:12 GMT -6
The Dragonglaive
Cloud Strife Word Count: OOC: Dialogue Color: 196fd1
"Oh good. I was thinking of "Spiky" or "Spike" if you were the type to try and stay anonymous" Caius responded when Cloud gave his name, himself giving a light chuckle at his attempt at humor. They hadn't been able to introduce themselves earlier with all that was going on, so he was certainly glad to get a chance to do so now. Cloud, the man's name was. Interesting name, but certainly not the weirdest.
He raised his glass, then. "Cheers" he remarked, before taking a long swig to start the evening. His head still pounded, and he doubted that his head would feel much better in the morning after drinking. But for now, a few drinks would probably numb everything else. He was beyond exhausted, his magic was spent, and the start of his trip to Sonora had been... Eventful, to say the least. The whiskey burned into his stomach quickly, and it didn't take long for him to feel a fair bit lighter. Lighter was perhaps what he needed at the moment.
It wasn't the worst whiskey he'd ever had. But Caius wasn't a frequent drinker so he didn't know much about quality when it came to these things. With his body feeling a bit lighter and with the peace and quiet of the bar, Caius could almost fall asleep. He was almost tempted to, but sleep could wait until he was safely in a hotel room. For now though, he was happy to enjoy the calm. That didn't prevent him from speaking though, or not minding when Cloud spoke up again.
Cloud asked if he knew the city well, bringing up that he was trying to track down some people. Caius shook his head. "Only been here for light visits until now, to be frank. Just blew into town for my first major trip today, and you got here same time as me. Feel free to throw some names though. I seem to have a knack for meeting people."
Post by Cloud Strife on Jun 11, 2020 22:44:42 GMT -6
Cloud had hoped Caius would have responded that he was an expert on the city, knew every nook and cranny like the back of his hand, that maybe he was a local returning home after wrangling a pet dragon somewhere. But beggars couldn't be choosers. A few visits amounted to a fountain of knowledge for all Cloud knew of the city. He wasn't sure what to make of 'a knack for meeting people' and if he had a coin to flip, heads would have been a strange kind of luck and tails would have made Caius a bounty hunter.
He stood there leaning on the bar and bounced his heel on the brass rail and kept a steady look on his face that in better circumstances was the cool impassive look of a mercenary who could handle anything but presently was the cool impassive look of a mercenary who was too tired to kick up a fuss about anything. He glanced at Caius and then he glanced at his whiskey and picked up the glass and let the alcohol swirl around lazily while he answered. It was hard to play it cool when he was asking after Tifa to every stranger who gave him the time of day, but he did it anyway. Call it an old habit. He could feel silly about it after he found her.
"Lookin' for a woman named Tifa," he said. He gave a just-the-facts description of her; brown hair, about this tall, a fighter, but the tone of his voice when he spoke about her betrayed him as it always did. He broke up his talking with a sip of whiskey, and he pictured her standing behind the bar with a bright smile on her face and he pictured her lobbing a drunk like a grenade clean out of the building. A small lopsided grin tugged at the corner of his mouth and cracked the glass of his cool impassive look just a little bit.
"Or a guy named Barret. He's got a gun for an arm." Cloud took another drink of whiskey and that emptied the glass. He set the glass back on the square of cardboard in the damp little ring it made and he thought it was a shame it was empty and at the same time had no inclination to order another. He folded his forearms on the edge of the bar.
He hoped if Caius met either one it wasn't half as interesting as their meeting.
"Interesting pet you got, by the way," he said offhandedly. "Didn't know you could ride 'em. They've always just tried to eat me."
